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Select Committee · Defence Committee

Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Status: Closed Opened: 9 Sep 2021 Closed: 11 Dec 2023 3 recommendations 7 conclusions 1 report

The Defence Committee is inquiring into developments following the US agreement with the Taliban in February 2020 to withdraw NATO troops from Afghanistan (the Doha Agreement), which was endorsed by the NATO decision of March 2020, and will look at the planning for and execution of withdrawal of UK Armed Forces, and evacuation of UK …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanistan HC 725 10 Feb 2023 10 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
8 Recommendation Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis… Accepted

We recognise the ongoing efforts of the UK Government and of organisations including the Afghan...

We recognise the ongoing efforts of the UK Government and of organisations including the Afghan Solidarity Coalition and the Sulha Alliance to evacuate eligible Afghans remaining in Afghanistan or in third countries. It is concerning, however, that, according to the MOD’s own estimates, several thousand eligible Afghans— whose safety is …

Government response. The government outlines ongoing efforts to relocate ARAP-eligible Afghans, stating over 12,200 have been relocated, fewer than 620 remain inside Afghanistan, and they are committed to finding and relocating them and their families.
Ministry of Defence
9 Recommendation Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis… Accepted

The withdrawal from Afghanistan and end of the UK’s twenty-year military involvement in the country...

The withdrawal from Afghanistan and end of the UK’s twenty-year military involvement in the country has understandably had a negative impact on veterans’ mental health. This has increased demand on services provided by organisations such as Combat Stress and Help for Heroes as well as the NHS. The announcement of …

Government response. The government describes existing support for veteran mental health, including NHS services, charitable partnerships, and funding through Op COURAGE and the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, and states it remains open to further engagement and collaboration across the charity sector.
Ministry of Defence
10 Recommendation Fifth Report - Withdrawal from Afghanis… Accepted

The UK contribution to the war in Afghanistan took the lives of 457 UK armed...

The UK contribution to the war in Afghanistan took the lives of 457 UK armed forces personnel and injured thousands more, and cost more than £27 billion. The evacuation from Afghanistan in August 2021 resulted in 15,000 people being brought to the UK but left many behind. It is therefore …

Government response. The government states that it already conducts numerous reviews and has an active lessons process, and that the value of a further wide-ranging review is limited and doesn't coincide with the Integrated Review (Refresh).
Ministry of Defence

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
23 Nov 2021 General David Petraeus (ret.), Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan (2010-11), Jeff Harrison · Combat Stress, Sarah Jones · Help for Heroes View ↗
16 Nov 2021 Brigadier (ret.) Ben Barry · International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Dr Jack Watling · Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Dr Neelam Raina · Afghan Solidarity Coalition, Dr Sara de Jong · The Sulha Alliance, Peter Gordon-Finlayson · The Sulha Alliance, Professor Brad Blitz · Afghan Solidarity Coalition View ↗
26 Oct 2021 Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP · Ministry of Defence View ↗